Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 56, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 56, was a "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the ''

Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Force)—known before October 1916 as (Flyer Troops)—was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-language sources it is usually referred to as the Imperial German Air Service, alt ...

'', the air arm of the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the l ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The squadron would score 63 aerial victories during the war. The unit's victories came at the expense of seven killed in action, four

wounded in action Wounded in Action (WIA) describes combatants who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during wartime, but have not been killed. Typically, it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing ...

, two injured in accidents, and one taken prisoner of war.

History

Jasta 56 began at

Paderborn Paderborn (; Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader and ''Born'', an old German term for t ...

Geschwader This is a list of words, terms, concepts, and slogans that have been or are used by the German military. Ranks and translations of nicknames for vehicles are included. Also included are some general terms from the German language found frequently i ...

School on 20 October 1917, but was not officially established until 1 January 1918. Its first personnel reported in on 9 January 1918. It was assigned to '' 2 Armee'' on the 14th; it first saw combat on 9 February 1918. The new squadron scored first blood on the 19th. On 11 April 1918, it was consolidated into '' Jagdgruppe 6'' and moved to support '' 4 Armee'', remaining in that posting until war's end.

Commanding officers (''
Staffelführer ''Staffelführer'' was one of the first paramilitary ranks used by the German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) in the early years of that group's existence. The later SS rank of ''Staffelführer'' traces its origins to the First World War, where the tit ...
'')

Franz Schleiff Oberleutnant Franz Schleiff (born 19 September 1896, date of death unknown) was a World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories. Nine additional combat claims went uncredited. Aerial service Russia and Palestine Schlieff joined Germ ...

: 9 January 1918 – 27 March 1918 *

Dieter Collin Leutnant Dieter Collin (17 February 1893—13 August 1918) IC was a World War I German flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Th ...

: 4 April 1918 – 13 August 1918 *

Ludwig Beckmann __NOTOC__ Ludwig "Lutz" Beckmann (26 October 1895 – 20 January 1965) was a German Luftstreitkräfte ace during World War I and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was aw ...

: 13 August 1918 – war's end

Duty stations

Neuvilly Neuvilly is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Heraldry French sartorial heritage The city was a pivotal center of mulquinerie. People Frank Lester is buried there. See also *Communes of the Nord department The followin ...

, France: 14 January 1918 * Mons-en-Chausee: 26 March 1918 *

Ingelmunster Ingelmunster (; vls, Iengelmunstr) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises only the town of Ingelmunster proper and the village of Kriek. As of January 1, 2006, Ingelmunster had a total popu ...

, Belgium: 11 April 1918 *

Rumbeke Rumbeke is a town in the Belgian municipality of Roeselare in the province of West Flanders. It is most known as the location of Rumbeke Castle Rumbeke Castle ( nl, Kasteel van Rumbeke) is a historical building in Rumbeke in West Flanders, Bel ...

East, Belgium: 5 May 1918 * Croulshouten: 30 September 1918

Notable personnel

* Franz Schlieff * Dieter Collin * Ludwig Beckmann *

Franz Piechulek ''Leutnant'' Franz Piechulek was a German World War I flying ace credited with 14 aerial victories. World War I military service He was assigned to ''Kampfeinsitzerstaffel 5'' on 27 October 1917. He scored his first aerial victory there, downing ...

Aircraft

Flying

Albatros D.V The Albatros D.V is a fighter aircraft built by the Albatros Flugzeugwerke and used by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. The D.V was the final development of the Albatros D.I family and the last Albatro ...

a fighters from January 1918, the Jasta was re-fitted with

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII qu ...

s during May 1918. The unit's marking for aircraft featured yellow nose and

vertical stabilizer A vertical stabilizer or tail fin is the static part of the vertical tail of an aircraft. The term is commonly applied to the assembly of both this fixed surface and one or more movable rudders hinged to it. Their role is to provide control, sta ...

, white rudder, with a blue

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...

References